Winter
by Cotton Candy Mareep
Summary: A collection of short oneshots depicting the simple but meaningful moments shared between the charismatic optimist of a farmer and the sweetly soft-spoken butler of Echo Village over the course of one winter.
1. Afternoon Tea

**A/N: I should _really_ be updating my other stories rather than procrastinating on that even more than I already have been and posting an entirely new story, but in my defense, I already have this one written out. No more work involved, only regular updates, haha.****I wrote this fic for a Harvest Moon gift exchange on tumblr last year and decided to post the drabbles here one by one because 1.) I think it makes a nice read for the holiday season; 2.) I already finished writing it so I might as well, and while the oneshots are connected they can also work as standalone drabbles; and most importantly 3.) Sanjay is both adorable and underappreciated in fanfic.**

**To be honest, I never really got into ANB all that much and haven't played it in quite a while, so any feedback on how I did with the characters in this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!**

**-CCM**

* * *

><p><em><strong>001. Afternoon Tea<strong>_

The young blonde farmer of Echo Village briskly rapped her knuckles on the front door of the enormous exotic mansion where the dark-skinned butler now lived with his prince, a confident smile on her face at the thought of seeing him. Ever since the pair had moved from some faraway land into the mansion in the village, that butler had intrigued her.

The girl fiddled absentmindedly with the straps of her blue-denim overalls as she milled around on the front steps, but she didn't have to wait long.

The butler answered the door, just as she had expected, long hair tied back in his usual snow-white braid and a welcoming smile on his face, full of warm surprise at the unexpected visitor.

"Oh, good afternoon, Rio. Are you here to visit Prince Amir, by any chance? Because I'm afraid he is out at the moment."

Rio laughed, a high, tinkling sound like bells chiming. "No, silly. I'm here to see you."

"Oh..." Sanjay clasped his hands together in front of him, somewhat unsure of himself. The girl's comment had taken him aback slightly, and his professional mannerisms were disrupted just for a moment. "Ahem… Well, please step inside then, I suppose."

Sanjay opened the door wider to allow Rio entry into the mansion, and then shut it quietly behind her as she looked around the entrance hall in amazement.

"You know, I helped build this mansion myself, but I've never actually seen the inside of it before? At least, not with anyone living in it." She looked back at Sanjay and smiled brightly. "It looks beautiful, decorated like this."

"Oh… is that so? Well, I'm glad you've gotten a chance to see it." He chuckled somewhat awkwardly, which was very unlike him. What was it about this farmer girl that made him forget his manners? "Um, why don't you follow me in for some refreshments?"

He took a deep breath and turned into the dining room, hoping that Rio would know to follow him there. She did, and smiled again upon entering the room, contentedly observing the furniture setup as she took a seat. Sanjay took this short lapse in activity to busy himself preparing tea. Tea had always helped calm him, and he hoped that it might help him avoid any more awkward small talk.

"I hope you like herbal tea. I'm afraid that's all we have in store at the moment."

Rio nodded enthusiastically, to his relief. "Oh, yes! I love all kinds of tea, actually."

She leaned backward in her chair slightly and stretched her arms over her head with a small yawn. "A nice cup of steaming herbal tea is such a relaxing drink after all the hard, stressful work on the farm. And it really warms me up during the winter."

Sanjay nodded, setting one steaming mug of tea down on the table in front of Rio, who accepted it graciously, before taking a sip of his own and sitting down across from her. "Oh yes, I definitely agree."

Together, the butler and the farmer enjoyed a serene afternoon drinking tea in each other's company. Though the weather was getting colder, the hot tea and cozy atmosphere kept them warm and comfortable until it came time for Rio to return to her farm once more.

"Oh no, look at the time!" Rio glanced up at the exotic clock on the wall in alarm. "I still have a lot of farmwork to finish up before it gets dark; I'm afraid I'll have to get going."

Nodding in understanding, Sanjay walked Rio to the front door, where she turned and said, "Well, thank you for the tea! …I had a wonderful time with you this afternoon."

She blushed ever so slightly, and Sanjay responded with a similar hint of pink in his cheeks. "You know you are always welcome here, Rio. Feel free to stop by anytime… I enjoyed making tea for you."

"But more importantly… I enjoyed keeping your company," he added softly, but Rio had already taken off down the walk.

From that day forward, Sanjay and Rio planned to come together for herbal tea every Sunday afternoon. Because hot tea and light conversation in pleasant company does wonders to relieve the stresses of daily life, for both farmers and butlers alike.


	2. Early Mornings

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far, BeetleBug and Lilybud! And for the faves/follows, as well; it's nice to see that other people appreciate Sanjay too, haha. Actually, he always kinda reminded me of Vishnal from Rune Factory 4, which is a good thing in my opinion; I have a soft spot for Vishie. Anyway, hope you enjoy the next little chapter! Comments are always appreciated, especially in regard to characterization! :)**

**-CCM**

* * *

><p><strong><em>002. Early Mornings<em>**

Early one winter morning, as the sun was just peeking over the horizon to paint the sky in hazy shades of rose and gold, Rio set off for a walk through the village before it came time to begin her daily chores on the farm. Farm work, she had soon discovered, was more difficult than she ever could have imagined, and after waking up at dawn, day after day, to tend to the fields and the animals, Rio was feeling exceptionally exhausted. At least in the winter, she had slightly more free time for personal endeavors.

As she ambled along, pondering whether she should take a short stroll along the riverside or simply return to her farm to begin the day's tasks, Rio suddenly found herself face-to-face with Sanjay.

The young butler smiled warmly at her, despite the early morning chill. "Good morning, Rio. What brings you out on the town so early?"

Rio sighed, but managed to form a smile in return. "Just… taking a little stroll, I suppose." She didn't bother to mention that she had just been deciding to turn back home, and instead began to walk down the road alongside him. "What about you?"

"Oh… I was just headed to the store," he explained, blushing slightly. "I forgot to purchase some more honey for Prince Amir's breakfast tea, so I thought I would just hurry out for some right now before he came to breakfast, while I had the time."

They continued on in silence, taking in the wonderful wintertime scenery surrounding them- the carpet of fresh snow that had fallen overnight, shimmering in the steadily strengthening rays of sunlight, and the way it made the buildings around them resemble gingerbread houses frosted with white vanilla icing.

"It's such a beautiful morning, don't you agree?" Rio spoke up. She shook her head regretfully before Sanjay could even express his agreement. "It's not often that I get a break like this… Normally, my mornings are so busy and stressful, having to take care of the animals and water the crops and everything."

Sanjay nodded thoughtfully. "Well… it's always nice to take a day off from all the stress."

Rio gave a halfhearted shrug. "Yes… but farming is a twenty four-seven job. It's not like I can just stop when I get tired out, you know? Because animals always need to be fed, and if I didn't water the crops every day they would dry out and die, and-"

Sanjay lifted one hand to pause the farmer's little tirade, taking care not to seem rude. "Oh, I do understand, Rio. Prince Amir is my greatest friend, and taking care of him is a full-time duty. But you can always take some time off to relax and take a deep breath before getting right back into it again. Otherwise, you'll wear yourself out, and what good will that do?"

Rio paused in thought for a moment, but eventually nodded, a genuine smile now on her face as she took the butler's advice into consideration. "…I guess you're right. I can't be a very good farmer if I'm always so stressed out and tired that I can't even function properly… Thanks, Sanjay."

He laughed lightly, though he couldn't hide his delight at being able to help. "You're very welcome."


	3. Winter Harmony

**A/N: Thank you so much for the review, Lilybud, especially for the wonderful writing advice! I see exactly what you mean, so I'll try to keep that in mind as I continue to write. I agree that I may have a tendency to use more words than necessary at times, so that's actually partly why I've been focusing on shorter stories and drabble series lately, especially in regard to my 100-theme challenge on Muffy – when you're limited to only exactly one hundred words per drabble, you're forced to make each of those words more precise and meaningful, nothing too superfluous. So thank again, and I hope you all enjoy this next little chapter!**

**-CCM**

* * *

><p><strong><em>003. Winter Harmony<em>**

On the doorstep of the exotic mansion, Rio proudly presented a small boxed gift to Sanjay, the faintest trace of a blush on her cheeks. "I made you something, Sanjay. Winter Harmony Day is today, and you know the tradition…" She trailed off vaguely.

"Tradition?" Sanjay asked, his dark eyes sparkling with interest.

Rio nodded, her gaze now questioning. "Haven't you ever celebrated Harmony Day before?"

Sanjay shook his head, somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry, but no, I'm afraid I haven't. I've never heard of it before."

The farmer cleared her throat, still clutching the gift in her hands. "Well… the tradition is for the girls in town to bake cookies for the guys they like. Or anything with chocolate, really… Candies, sweets. And then on Spring Harmony Day, those same guys return the favor." She laughed. "I brought Amir a dessert, too. He seemed to enjoy it."

"Oh… is that so?" Did Rio simply imagine the almost crestfallen look that came over the butler's face? It was gone as soon as it had appeared, so perhaps it hadn't actually been there to begin with, though in all honestly, she had a lingering suspicion that that wasn't the case.

She nodded again. "I gave him a little box of chocolates earlier, when he passed me on the road on my way here. But for you, I made something special."

"_Oh_!" Suddenly remembering the gift she had come to bring him, Sanjay graciously took the box from the girl's hands and tenderly lifted the lid to peer inside.

"You... baked me a _cake_? An entire chocolate cake, all for me?" He laughed blissfully; never had anyone baked an entire dessert just for him, and he almost couldn't believe that the farmer had meant it for him alone. The cake itself was such a beautiful thing, made of rich, lusciously scented chocolate and evenly frosted with a delicate hand.

Rio smiled shyly, which was unusual for her. "I hope you like it… Think of it as my gift to you in return for the tea."

"Oh, no…" Sanjay shook his head. "Rio, that wouldn't be necessary." He liked sharing his tea with the girl, after all.

"Well, it's part of the Harmony Day tradition, so you have to eat it." Rio frowned slightly. "Don't you like chocolate cake?" Perhaps he really wasn't a big fan of chocolate…

"Oh, I love it, I really do!" Sanjay assured her with sincerity. "It looks absolutely wonderful; did you bake this yourself?"

Rio nodded again, and he gave her a wide smile. "Well, you did a fantastic job." Beckoning her inside, he added, "In fact, why don't we share it? I could never eat an entire cake all on my own! …And food tastes better with friends, does it not?"

The farmer laughed in response and cheerfully followed him in. "I suppose… I never could say no to a chocolate cake!"


	4. Ice Skating

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, Lilybud and ConcordBroken! I'm afraid this chapter is definitely the shortest one so far, but it honestly might be my favorite out of all of them, so I hope its content will make up for its length, haha. Makes me want to go ice skating again. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**-CCM**

* * *

><p><strong><em>004.<em>** **_Ice Skating_**

Rio and Sanjay stood together at the edge of a pond, where the children of Echo Village were skating about happily on its icy surface. Energetic as ever, Toni zipped around on his ice skates with unbridled energy, not a wobble in his stride. The boy was followed closely by a giggling Hina, while Niko trailed a bit further behind, his young face alight with glee.

Rio beamed at the frozen pond before her, then back at Sanjay. "Come on! Let's do it!"

Despite the clearly apprehensive look that crossed the young man's face, Rio took hold of his hand and pulled him forward. "Haven't you ever gone ice skating before?"

Sanjay shook his head, eyeing the surface of the ice with some trepidation. "I'm afraid not. Where Amir and I are from, the weather is much too warm for such activity. The ponds never freeze over like this."

Rio grinned mischievously. "Well, don't worry! It's easy. In fact, I'll teach you."

Without warning, she quickly pulled Sanjay onto the ice before he could protest any further. Fearing he was about to fall over, Sanjay instinctively grasped Rio by the shoulders, struggling to steady himself and almost knocking the girl over in the process.

"Oh… Oh, my, I-I apologize, Rio!" he stammered, his face darkening in a blush.

But Rio merely laughed. "Calm down. It's all right! You just have to keep your balance, is all. Once you get used to the feel of the ice, it's easy!"

Taking a deep breath, Sanjay fought to stand up straight on the blades of his skates, unused to the feel of the slippery ice beneath his feet. However, his legs just wouldn't stop wobbling, and he very nearly tumbled over again.

Rio giggled at him, placing her gloved hand on his arm to help him balance. "You can't just stand there; you have to move around!"

She suddenly dragged him forward by the hand toward the trio of children, who were now cheering the pair on with enthusiasm. After almost falling flat on his face for a moment (which would have been tremendously embarrassing), Sanjay found that he could actually stay up on his feet if he just concentrated on keeping his body steady and relaxed, his legs moving at a slow, rhythmic pace.

The couple exchanged a smile as Sanjay finally let go of Rio's supporting hand and began skating slowly on his own, tottering a bit every now and then as Rio skated expertly alongside him. She patted him on the arm proudly before abruptly taking off on the ice in one powerfully quick, fluid movement, not a tremble in her posture.

"Just follow my lead, and you'll be a pro in no time!"


	5. Travel Plans

**A/N: Thank you for the comments on the last chapter, Lilybud and Mellowth! Unfortunately, this next chapter is a very short one as well... and I mean** **_very_ short. But hey, that was kinda what I was aiming for when I wrote this story in the first place - just ten fluffy snippets of Rio and Sanjay's relationship progressing during the winter. Nothing all that deep here, haha.  
><strong>

**-CCM**

* * *

><p><strong><em>005. Travel Plans<em>**

Rio and Sanjay sat on a park bench on the edge of town, side by side, enjoying the sight of the clear winter sky in the evening. The farmer girl sighed as she leaned against the wooden back rest, taking in as much of the sunset as she could, as bright pink and orange hues faded into the deep indigo night sky up above.

"This sunset reminds me of the time I visited the Southern Island over the summer... though it was probably about fifty degrees warmer there, mind you," Rio laughed.

"It _is _quite pretty," Sanjay observed the sky thoughtfully, and Rio nodded in agreement.

"I love sunsets. And a sunset on the beach might just be the most beautiful kind of all." She smiled contentedly. "I really love traveling; exploring interesting new places and discovering new and unusual things."

Though it's rather expensive," she added with a small sigh, "so I can't really do it as much as I'd like to. Especially when so much of my time and resources goes into the farm and Dunhill's town renovation plans."

Sanjay smiled to himself, grateful for the sunset that hid his blush. Rio was such a hard worker, greatly respected by everyone in town... if anyone deserved an extensive vacation, it was her.

Taking a look at the expression on the young man's face, Rio asked him, "Do you ever travel?"

Sanjay nodded somewhat wistfully as he gazed off in the direction of the setting sun. "Yes… Amir and I traveled far and wide after leaving our home country, before finally settling down here in Echo Village."

He sighed. "I would really love to travel more, as well… But then again, Echo Village is such a lovely small town, I'm not sure I could ever leave just yet."

Glancing back at Rio, he smiled openly at her. "Since we moved here, I've had much more time to spend with the people I care about. It's nice."

Rio nodded vaguely, a fantastic plan forming in her mind. "You know, you could always come visit the Ancient Ruins with me sometime, if it interests you any. I discovered a lot of interesting stuff there the last time I went- strange monuments of stone, and little clay figurines..."

Sanjay shyly rested a hand over her own. "That would be wonderful… I'd love to join you the next time you travel."

"Well then… it's a date!"

They sat quietly on the bench to watch the sun set below the horizon, her head resting on his shoulder, dreaming of the places they could discover as they huddled together against the chill in the wintry breeze.


End file.
